


The Most Dangerous Game

by jadewolf



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Blood, Dark, Gen, Giant Murder Crab, Graphic Violence, LetMonstersBeMonsters2017, Mind the Tags, People Getting Eaten, Sadistic Monsters, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 22:03:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12118146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadewolf/pseuds/jadewolf
Summary: Bored monsters, left unsupervised, can come up with very unfriendly games.





	The Most Dangerous Game

**Author's Note:**

> Remember all those centuries that Tamatoa spent alone on that island in "Future Legend"? Well, here's what he was up to all that time...

It was an idyllic afternoon on a small, quiet island.The sun was bright, riding high in endless blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds, though a cluster of storm clouds lingered on the horizon.A warm, sultry breeze caressed the island, causing the palm fronds to whisper and rustle.A turquoise sea lapped gently against the sandy shore of a placid lagoon, its crystalline waters glittering in the sunshine.All in all, it was just another beautiful, peaceful day in a tropical paradise.  
  
It held few charms anymore to the giant crab sitting on the high cliff above it all.Tamatoa had seen it all before.For what must have been hundreds upon hundreds of years, he’d been stuck alone on this little island.Most of the time, the days ran on and on without anything to tell one from the next.It was lonely.It was boring.  
  
There was nothing on the island to occupy a clever mind, nor alleviate the soul-crushing loneliness as the empty centuries blurred together.Tamatoa was an inventive creature, however, and over the years of monotony and boredom he had come up with ways to keep himself entertained.  
  
High atop the headland, Tamatoa grinned broadly as the awaited entertainment in question finally made its appearance.The curve of a sail broke the horizon line, coasting along the strong offshore current that swept past his little island.It had been weeks since the last ship had passed, making this one a welcome sight.  
  
After all, there was little enough on the island to sustain a monster of his size, particularly now.Over the centuries he’d been abandoned here, he’d grown and was easily taller than all but the largest voyaging canoes.The tiny fruits of over-harvested trees could only do so much towards abating his hunger.The approach of a ship, however, held the promise of a more filling meal.

  
With the prospect of fun and food igniting a spark in him, Tamatoa tilted his glittering shell into the sun to catch the light and set the lure for the distant canoe.  
  
It didn’t take long for the canoe to change its course, tacking effortlessly towards the island to investigate the distant shine.The course correction was neatly done, displaying fine seamanship and refined sailing skills.Such an expert sailor was sure to pilot it safely past the dangerous shoals that fringed the island’s lagoon.Tamatoa smiled.  
  
Once the canoe’s path was certain, Tamatoa hurried down from his clifftop perch towards the shallow lagoon, excitement flaring as his thoughts raced ahead to what was coming.Barely containing himself, he nestled into the warm sand with a hasty shimmy.When he was done, only his treasure encrusted shell was visible on the beach and his antennae, rising above the sand, were carefully tucked out of sight from the sea.Everything was ready.It was an old routine, perfected over the years and it never failed him.  
  
Now there was nothing left to do but wait.Tamatoa’s antennae trembled, anticipation keeping him strung as tightly as rigging in a storm.Every sense was tuned towards the first signs of the approaching canoe.There was no telling how many humans might be aboard the boat or what shiny treasures they may have concealed in its hold.His mind whirled with the possibilities, conjuring tantalizing images of what he may find.It only fueled his excitement more, mouth watering at the very thought.He fidgeted and shifted his legs in the sand, but it did little towards relieving the growing tension.  
  
Then there was a low scraping of twin hulls grounding themselves on the beach.Excitement streaked through him at the sound, his heart speeding up and muscles coiling, ready to spring.Just a few more moments now.  
  
There were footsteps—a great many of them, softly muffled by the beach sand.From the footfalls, Tamatoa counted at least three, perhaps more if others were still onboard the boat.  
  
Every nerve quivered.Just a few more steps.Just let them come a bit little closer.Yes, little humans.Look at that magnificent shine and be dazzled.Come to the shining pile of treasure.Come to the brightest thing that glitters.  
  
Come closer.  
  
Now!  
  
Tamatoa sprang from hiding, eyes alight with a mad gleam.Throwing off an arc of shimmering sand, he spun to face his new guests.The first one barely had time to draw enough breath to scream before it was caught in a claw.Gasping desperately for air that wouldn’t flow into its lungs, the human thrashed weakly in his grip.The stench of fear poured off the struggling captive, flooding Tamatoa’s senses with its irresistible aroma.Awash in the thrilling scent, Tamatoa did not hold back.He lifted the flailing human up and bit it neatly in half, ending its struggle instantly.He paused for just a moment, savoring the hot splash of blood on his tongue.Then he smiled, lips pulling back from his bloody teeth in a chilling rictus.  
  
It was only then that the screaming began.The other humans scattered in panic, running in all directions.The more sensible one sprinted for the canoe and its only true hope of escape, but Tamatoa was far faster.Two long strides was all it took and he’d reached the canoe.The sole human who had remained aboard took one look at him, towering overhead with the bleeding, ragged carcass of their companion still clutched in one claw, and leapt overboard in terror and swam for shore.The one that had been rushing back to the canoe likewise turned around and scrambled into the trees.  
  
He let them go, reaching instead with his free claw to grab the heavy wooden mast.A lifetime of sailing before being abandoned on this miserable island had given Tamatoa all the knowledge he needed to permanently disable a canoe with only a few strokes.A quick snip of his pincer splintered the mast, snapping it in half.Sails and rigging tumbled down to the water, rendered useless.Just for good measure, he ripped out the steering oar and cracked one of the double hulls open.Water flooded in from the breach and the canoe slowly sank in the shallow water—never to sail again.There was no escape for the trespassers now.  
  
Satisfied with his work, Tamatoa turned to survey the rest of the cove, his gaze flitting leisurely over the treeline.The remaining humans had all fled, vanishing into the palm groves.With their boat ruined, however, there was nowhere for them to go and he’d find them soon enough.  
  
He took his time now, as the initial surge of wild fervor gave way to cool calculation.Idly, he took a small bite of the still-warm snack still held in his claw.The warmth stayed with him, too—it was something about mammals that was eminently more enjoyable than the cold, bland fare the island provided and he had every intention of making the most of it.After all, it had been weeks since he’d had a truly good meal and it took the edge off his hunger to have something more substantial for once than tiny scraps of fruit and brittle leaves stripped from overtaxed, exhausted trees.  
  
He helped himself to another indulgent nibble, thoughtful as he considered his next move.  
  
The first time a group of humans had escaped his ambush on the beach, Tamatoa had been extremely annoyed at the inconvenience.He’d been expecting a quick, easy catch and then a nice lazy nap, but the humans had been surprisingly slippery and had eluded his grasp.He’d spent the better part of the day tracking them down across the island.It was only later, as he’d lounged in the shade to digest his meal, that he’d realized how entertaining it had been.The thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction upon its conclusion had chased away the boredom like nothing else could.He’d slept well that night—well fed, content, and happy.  
  
After that, adding a little sport to his routine had been the only sensible thing to do.Now it was time to play once again.  
  
Antennae flicked out, testing the air.He picked up the scent of the humans with practiced ease.There had been three remaining and they had split up.One scent trail went down the well-traveled path which traced the perimeter of the island, heading east.Another track followed the wide trail from the cove to the lookout point on the bluff above.The third human had clearly broken straight for the trees, eschewing a trail in favor of weaving amongst the denser groves—likely believing that afforded them some degree of safety.  
  
He finished off the last of his appetizer, resisting the fastidious urge to lick his claw clean—leaving a little mess would only add to the intimidation factor.Then, with a smooth smile, he set off along the third trail into the trees.  
  
The trees here were closely set, which ordinarily might have made travel difficult for a creature of his size.Tamatoa knew every inch of this island, though.He’d had the lonely centuries to intimately acquaint himself with every rock and every blade of grass.He could navigate the island with his eyes shut and never put a step wrong.He glided through the gaps in the trees with effortless ease, keeping focused on the scent trail of the fleeing human.  
  
Late afternoon sunlight was slanting through the trees when Tamatoa caught up with the human, spotting it moving hastily through the forest ahead of him.It was moving slower now, starting to tire itself from the long scramble up from the cove.Even at a distance, there was no missing the smell of sweat and exhaustion coming off the human.Eyes intently focused ahead, Tamatoa slowed his pace and lowered his stance, stalking through the trees towards his quarry.Every silent step brought him closer and he licked his lips as the thrill of anticipation flooded back.  
  
He was closing in, slipping through the trees towards his unsuspecting prey.A grin spread across Tamatoa’s face.The human had slowed further, perhaps thinking itself safe enough to take a breather.  
  
Then the human turned around.  
  
Even stealthy as Tamatoa was, he was simply too large to be concealed by the tall, skinny trunks of the coconut palms.Even the shorter, but leafy breadfruits did little to shield him from sight.The human spotted him easily and let out a bloodcurdling shriek.Its weariness seemingly forgotten, it turned swiftly and launched into a mad dash away into a dense thicket of trees.  
  
Rather than growling in frustration, Tamatoa only grinned wider.He laughed and called after them, his tone taunting and full of mockery, “Leaving so soon, little human?But we’ve only just begun.” Then he gave chase, starting after the fleeing human with another jeering laugh.  
  
The human was small and could slip easily through the closely spaced trees, but Tamatoa was faster and far more canny.He darted swiftly along spacious tracks in the forest that he knew by heart, zig-zagging in a wide arc around the human’s path.Easily outpacing the biped, he curved ahead.  
  
Then he leapt from the trees with a malicious smile.“Surprise!”  
  
The human skidded to a panicked halt, looking up in horrified shock at the monster that had suddenly appeared ahead of it.With its escape cut off, it frantically backpedaled and turned to flee back the way it had come.  
  
Again, Tamatoa skirted around on well-known paths to intercept the human again.“Whoops, not this way!” he taunted, eyes gleaming.  
  
The human fled again, stumbling as exhaustion began to wear it down.Tamatoa sped around as before, easily blocking its retreat yet again.“Tsk, too slow!”  
  
Driven by Tamatoa’s skillful interception, the human was gradually herded out of the dense trees and towards an open area where Tamatoa could reach it.So close now, he only had to get the human maneuvered just a little farther out into the open and it would be his.He nimbly moved around to the proper spot, claws tapping softly in expectation.  
  
The human emerged from the trees into the wide clearing, breathing hard and steps unsteady.  
  
Tamatoa lunged, claws wide.  
  
His claws closed on empty air with a sharp clack.  
  
Antennae sweeping up in surprise, he looked hurriedly around to see where the human had gone.What the—?How could he have missed?There was a sound above him and his eyes swiveled up.  
  
The human was shimmying up the towering trunk of a coconut palm, moving with a surprising speed, likely born out of pure adrenaline and desperation.  
  
Well, that was a problem.He could knock it down, but he didn’t dare destroy even a single one of the fruit bearing trees on the island, not when food supplies were so slim to begin with.As meager a fare as the overtaxed trees provided, it was all he had to survive on between passing ships.  
  
He put on his most disarming smile, looking up at the human who was clinging to the crown of the palm tree far above him.“It’s okay, little human,” he crooned, putting all his considerable charm into his voice.“C’mon down from there.Nobody’s going to hurt you,” he lied.  
  
The human didn’t budge.  
  
“You can’t stay up there forever, you know,’ Tamatoa pointed out, still keeping his tone smooth and endearing.  
  
There was a rustle above him as the human shifted in the fronds.Then a short blur of motion.Crack!Something small hit him hard, right between the eyestalks, and he yelped—more in surprise than anything else.His eyes both turned inward to look for damage, then looked back up.Just as they swiveled, he was hit again—this time right in the eye.His yelp this time was from genuine pain.The rotten little creep was throwing coconuts at him!His coconuts!  
  
Irritated now, he dropped all pretense of charm.A growl rose in his throat and he glared up with a growing annoyance.“Cut that out!” he snarled, only to get another coconut thrown at him for his trouble.This one bounced off his face, tumbling to the forest floor below.  
  
That did it.  
  
“Okay,” he called up, tone darkening.“Don’t say I didn’t try to be nice!” Well, fake nice anyway.  
  
He grabbed the trunk of the tree in his blood-crusted pincer.He couldn’t risk snapping the tree, but he gave it a careful shake.Above him, the human let out a frightened cry and clung tighter to the tree.Tamatoa narrowed his eyes and gave it a more firm shake.The top of the tree began to sway, but the human still stuck doggedly to the top.  
  
Annoyed, Tamatoa grabbed the trunk in both claws.He shook the tree vigorously, nearly testing the limits of how hard he could bend it before it snapped.The human shrieked as the crown of the tree swung wildly.Its grip began to falter.Tamatoa gave the tree another hard jerk and the human’s hands came loose from the fronds.It dangled, arms flailing and held only by the grip of its legs crossed around the trunk.  
  
Tamatoa grinned up at the human, whose terrified face stared back down at him.“Well, well, well, what interesting fruit we're having this season,” he drawled.He shifted his position slightly, then gave the palm’s trunk another sharp yank."Down you come!"  
  
The human screeched, the scream wobbling in time with the swaying tree.Then its legs, wrapped around the tree trunk, began to slip.“No!” it wailed.“Nono, wait!” Ever so slowly, it lost its hold.Wide eyes looked down at Tamatoa with horror.“Please!No!” the human pleaded in vain, but gravity cannot be reasoned with.Tamatoa smiled patiently up at it.The legs slipped just a little more.At last it fell, howling, into the open air.  
  
And right into Tamatoa’s waiting mouth.  
  
Tamatoa blinked, rather pleasantly surprised.His aim must be getting better.He’d half been expecting to have to chase the slippery little human around a bit more.He hadn’t been prepared to actually catch it.For a moment he just stood there, thoughtful, with the squirming thing in his mouth.  
  
Its struggles and muffled yowling ended soon enough as his teeth closed upon it, however, crunching slowly through flesh and bone.Warm blood ran between his teeth and dribbled down his chin.He spared a long, languid moment, relishing the taste with delight before he gulped his meal down.It was sweet indeed to have something decent to eat for once, and he intended to enjoy it.After all, it was one of few pleasures in his isolated existence, so there was no reason to temper his revelry.  
  
He didn’t bother to wipe the streaks of bright red blood from his face afterwards.  
  
Well, that made two.Still two more trespassers left.Tamatoa smiled and started jauntily off, humming cheerfully to himself as he sought out the others.  
  
The sun was setting, lighting the sky with flaming orange and brilliant splashes of red.The whole island was bathed in the warm crimson light.Dark purple storm clouds gathered, pushing closer to the island.Tamatoa’s antennae twitched, picking up the smell of distant rain on the wind and the metallic tang of static from the approaching storm.  
  
He moved a little faster, hoping to beat the rain.  
  
It didn’t take long to find the next human’s trail.The scent was still fresh and lingered along the wide trail that connected the beach to his clifftop lookout spot.The scent tracked up until it branched off and turned, taking a steep side trail that descended back down the hill.Tamatoa smiled smugly.There was a vast cavern at the end of this path, large enough for him to take shelter in during foul weather, but ultimately a cavern with no exit.If the human had decided to hide in there, he’d have them trapped easily.  
  
He was close now and he picked up the pace in the fading light, moving at a fast clip downward along the familiar trails.His mind was already skimming ahead with pleasant distraction, filled with enticing thoughts about just how he’d catch this next one and what he’d do with it.Maybe this time he would—  
  
Then he was falling.  
  
Something had fouled his legs and he stumbled sharply.The trail was too steep and he was moving too fast to stop, his momentum carrying him forward.The world appeared upside down around him and time itself seemed to freeze.An icy tingle flashed through him, flush with a nameless paralyzing shock as it raced from his back on the ground to the very tips of his legs in the air.The space between heartbeats seemed like a numb eternity.Then the world flipped back upright and he crashed to the ground.He was still moving, skidding uncontrollably downward, and his legs dug into the ground out of sheer instinct.They clamped hard into the dirt, clutching the soft earth and keeping the world facing the right direction.  
  
Then his wild descent stopped.  
  
He lay stunned, his legs still gripping the ground desperately.Eyes wide, he stared unseeing into a middle distance.Then his thoughts caught up and a belated jolt of fear shook him.For that brief endless moment, he had been flipped onto his back.A chill took him again as the realization of what just happened fully sank in.Being stuck on his back, alone on this island with no one to help him, would have been a death sentence.An agonizingly slow death by starvation.He shivered at the thought.  
  
He looked shakily up the hillside to see what had caused his fall.There was rope, many thick lengths of it, strung taut across the path between two trees.It was the sort of rope used in canoe rigging.  
  
The flash of fear gave way to fury.  
  
The human had set a trap for him.A trap!In his own home, on his own territory!His eyes narrowed dangerously, burning with barely suppressed anger born out of the remnants of his fright.He was going to make that human regret the very day it was born.  
  
He pushed up from the ground, ignoring the slight tremble in his legs as the residue of delayed fear still coursed through him.He shook off the dirt and the last vestiges of his shock, then glared with unchecked malevolence up the hillside.In the settling twilight, he could see the human scrambling back up the trail.  
  
Tamatoa let out a snarl of pure rage and thundered up after it, leaping over the trip line as he passed it by.The human glanced back at him, then ran farther up the path.With quite a bit of a lead on him, it made the turn towards the clifftop and disappeared from sight.Something about its behavior, however, was just too obvious, too choreographed.  
  
Well, Tamatoa knew better than to follow it into another potential trap.He abandoned the trail, instead cutting through a small stand of trees and emerging at the base of a tall, stony ridge that cut across the length of the hillside.He began to climb, navigating the jagged rocks with natural agility.He had to move quick if he was to beat the treacherous little human to his destination.He’d set a little trap of his own this time.  
  
It was dark now, the last light of day vanishing.No stars emerged in this evening sky, though, masked by the building clouds overhead.A distant rumble of thunder murmured in the distance.The storm was getting closer and Tamatoa could feel the electricity thick in the air.  
  
In the darkness, his bioluminescence faded in, softly glowing in the night as he nimbly picked a fast path along the crest of the ridge.As he approached his destination, he extinguished his lights and slowed his pace.Silently, he crept forward in the dark.There was a narrow break in the ridge ahead, a gap through which his well-worn track from the cove to the cliff passed through.The rocks loomed high on either side.It was onto one of these rocky faces that Tamatoa carefully positioned himself.Clinging to the stones with all his legs, he faced downward towards the path and flattened himself against the wall.In the darkness, with his bioluminescence concealed and no moon or stars to shed light, he blended in perfectly.  
  
Antennae held aloft and arched over the path, he waited.  
  
Another peal of thunder shook the sky, closer this time.A few scattered drops of warm, tropical rain began to fall, landing on Tamatoa’s shell with a soft patter.  
  
There was movement on the path, coming up from farther down the slope.  
  
This time, his excitement was tempered by a more level-headed focus.He couldn’t be hasty and impulsive with this one again, not with the risk of another trick or trap.Instead, he waited with chilly patience.  
  
The human was not running anymore, perhaps waiting for Tamatoa to catch up and be lead into whatever other mischief it had set up.It cast frequent glances over its shoulder and to the sides, watchful and cautious.Clinging to the rocks above the pass, shielded by darkness, Tamatoa smiled coldly.No one ever looks up.  
  
Then the human moved into reach.  
  
There was a flash of lightning, illuminating everything for a breathless instant before the sharp crack of thunder split the air.  
  
Bioluminescent markings blazed to life, lighting up the night with brilliant blue and pink.  
  
“My my, what have we here?”  
  
Caught completely off guard, the human looked up in bewildered alarm.Then its face quickly shifted to one of petrified fear.There was no time for it to run, however.Tamatoa simply plucked it from the path with one glowing claw, never letting go of the rock face.It was only after the human was safely captured that Tamatoa climbed down to level earth again.  
  
He smiled and flashed bright teeth, marred by strings of gore, in the darkness.The human didn’t struggle yet, still too shocked to move by the look of things.Tamatoa brought the creature close.“So, you thought you were pretty clever?” he purred, voice low and full of menace.“Thought you could lay a few traps and get away with it, hm?” He leaned closer to the human, his face close enough that his breath ruffled the human’s hair.The human recoiled, trying to pull away to no great effect.“You thought wrong,” he said in a malicious whisper.  
  
The human began to thrash, pushing weakly against the claw holding it.Whatever shred of guile the human possessed—that ingenuity that lent towards building clever traps—simply evaporated.It babbled, chattering a long stream of incomprehensible nonsense as it lost all wits in the face of impending demise.Tamatoa only smirked nastily.  
  
“You would have left me helpless,” he began, his tone falling icy.He tossed the human in the air, flipping it over and catching it again around the waist with its head angled down.“Upside down, just like this.”  
  
The human’s legs, poking up from the top of his claw, kicked the air frantically.Tamatoa gave it a little shake.  
  
“I might have died, you know,” Tamatoa accused, bringing his eyestalks in close to glare at his captive.  
  
The human showed no discernible interest in Tamatoa’s well-being.How rude.It only struggled harder, windmilling its arms and beating the air with his legs.The intoxicating smell of its fear and desperation was thick in the air.  
  
Tamatoa tilted his shell in a shrug, then smiled an oily smile.“Well, you won’t be making that mistake again.” Another toss flipped the human right side up again and he shifted his grip, catching it around the chest to swing suspended from his claw.It cried out in fright, begging again with rambling pleas.Tamatoa was unmoved, in no mood to be merciful to the creature that had nearly left him stranded on his back.  
  
Eyes flashing, Tamatoa lifted it to dangle over his mouth.The human began to scream, a harsh howl of terror as it was lowered.With delicate precision, Tamatoa closed his teeth on the flailing legs and deftly bit down—cleanly severing them with a splintering crack of bones.  
  
It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but Tamatoa began to regret it almost immediately as the human’s piercing wail turned high and shrill, rising to a surprising octave that grated on every nerve.Tamatoa recoiled at the noise.The racket was really quite awful and made his antennae twitch in discomfort.In the end, that was the only thing that earned the human a quicker end.Eager to shut the thing up, Tamatoa elected not to torment it further by biting any more parts off.Instead, he simply closed his claw upon it until its spine snapped with a wet, crunching pop and the shrieking came to a swift end.

  
He enjoyed the rest of his meal in blessed silence.By the time he was done, he was in far better spirits and the fear of nearly being flipped was nothing but a memory.  
  
Just as he finished off the last bite, another spear of lightning forked the sky, followed by a booming crash of thunder that resonated across the entire island.The palm fronds began to rattle in a sudden gust of wind.Then the rain began to fall in earnest, drumming on the leaves and stones in a regular rhythm.Despite his improved mood, Tamatoa scowled up at the sky nevertheless, not appreciating the change in the weather.The rain drenched him and the blood staining his face and claws began to slowly rinse away under the onslaught.  
  
Even through the steady hiss of rain, he was able to pick up the faint rustle of leaves in the undergrowth behind him.His eyestalks swiveled to pinpoint the source of the sound, though there was really only one thing it could be.He blinked to clear the water from his vision and caught sight of the final human.It was cowering under the fronds of a low, leafy shrub and staring up at him blankly, as if frozen in place by what he had seen.  
  
Tamatoa’s eyes narrowed to glowing crescents, filled with bright, flickering color, and he flashed his most vicious smile.  
  
That was all it took to spur the human into motion.It leapt from the ground with surprising agility and sprinted away, leaving the path behind and bolting down the hillside towards the sea.  
  
Tamatoa followed, though at a slower and more careful pace now, keeping alert for other nasty snares and surprises the humans might have left behind.He’d have to do a sweep of the whole island in daylight, just to make sure any such traps were dismantled.There was no hurry, though.The human couldn’t escape and he wasn’t really all that hungry anymore.He could take his time catching up with this one.  
  
The rain was coming down harder, pouring in thick, silvery sheets illuminated by the glow of his bioluminescence.It made the human harder to track, reducing visibility and washing away much of the scent trail.It was no matter, though, there was enough to follow for now.  
  
He chased it down to the very edge of the island, to the wide perimeter path that encircled the island.Tamatoa had spent countless days pacing that path, tracing the entire coastline of his lonesome prison to pass the time.He knew every piece of gravel along it, every rock and stone.  
  
The human was ahead of him on the trail, scurrying as fast as its two ridiculous legs could carry it.He was closing in on it, but he wasn’t exerting himself—just loping along at an easy pace.He knew where this path lead, after all.The human would likely be slowing down any minute now.  
  
A bolt of lightning lit the world with flickering light once again, revealing where the path had largely fallen into the sea ahead.Erosion from storm and tide had long ago washed out much of the trail, leaving only a precarious ledge barely wide enough for a single human to pass.On one side was a sharp drop into the sea, where frothy, wild waves beat against the sheer walls.On the other were rocky, jagged cliffs dotted with shallow sea caves that flooded during high tide.The wind of the storm whistled and howled through them, joining the roar of the waves clashing against the cliffside below to raise quite a din.  
  
The human did indeed slow, but after only a moment’s hesitation it struck out across the  crumbling trail anyway.Back to the cliff, it edged along the narrow track, moving at a snail pace over the dangerous path.It cast a brief look back at Tamatoa, who had reached the edge of the washed out area.If anything, the human seemed somewhat relieved, as if it believed itself at least temporarily out of danger.  
  
Not one to let the poor thing hold such a delusion for long, Tamatoa let out a low laugh.Then he hooked a leg over the familiar rocks of the cliff face and began to climb.  
  
The human’s face fell, growing pale in the dark night.  
  
Tamatoa advanced quickly and with confidence across the cliff.All the footholds and crevices were firmly etched in his memory and required no effort to find.He faced downward on his sideways climb, keeping his glowing eyes fixed on the terrified little human.The human had stopped, shoulders slumped in defeat as it watched the inevitable approach.  
  
Once directly above the human and within easy reach, Tamatoa stopped and clung to the cliff.Lazy now, he stared down at it with smug satisfaction.Rain cascaded over him, running down his neck and mixing with the last remnants of blood on his face to drip on the human below.  
  
He reached down to poke at the human with a claw.The human cringed away with a short cry, but had nowhere to go.Tamatoa poked at it again with his other claw, just toying with it now really.In truth, his mind was already skipping ahead, thinking of the warm, dry sand of the sheltering cavern that awaited him up the hill.He wanted to get out of this downpour and settle down for a nice pleasant nap.  
  
He pushed the human around again, watching dispassionately as it fought to stay balanced on the thin ledge and tried to avoid his massive pincers at the same time.“Well,” he began with an unhurried smile, “you and your friends certainly made for good sport today.” He nudged it with his claw once more, enjoying the fearful sounds it made when jostled.“But I’m afraid our games are drawing to a close now.” He grinned, all teeth and bad intent.  
  
His appetite was largely satisfied, but that didn’t mean he’d turn down just one more.Call it a bedtime snack, perhaps.Besides, best to enjoy abundance when it was there to be found, particularly when there was no telling when the next canoe might pass by.  
  
Tamatoa reached out with a claw.  
  
The human leapt into the sea.  
  
Mouth falling open and claws clicking in surprise, Tamatoa watched the human fall into the turbulent grey water and disappear under the violently heaving waves.For a long moment, he waited to see if the human would surface again—unlikely as that was—but it did not.So it was suicide, then.What a waste of a good meal.  
  
Well, there was nothing to be done for it.The sea would take this one.He shrugged to himself and climbed back to the solid path.  
  
For a moment, he contemplated returning to the cove to pick through the wrecked canoe for shiny goodies, but another arc of lightning followed almost immediately by a crack of thunder nixed that idea.It wasn’t going anywhere, safely sunk in the shallow, protected waters of the cove.He’d deal with it in the morning, when it wasn’t pouring rain and the sunlight would make any treasures he found glitter.  
  
Instead, he made his way back up to the vast cavern set back into the hill—making sure to snip the trip rope along the way.Once inside, he nestled into the cozy, dry sand with a pleased sigh.Today had been a rare good day.Excitement of any kind was an uncommon treat on this miserable seamount, so he always strove to enjoy it while he could.Who knew how long it would last, after all.It might be ages until the next canoe arrived and there was no telling what would be aboard it.  
  
He didn’t think about those long, empty stretches of numbing solitude and inescapable doldrums now, though.No, he was far too comfortable and sated to let those dour thoughts creep in.Well fed, blissfully content, and pleasantly tired from all the exertion, he laid his head on a pincer and gently drifted off to sleep, where dreams of happier times waited for him.  
  
***  
  
He had been adrift at sea for days, floating on the currents and waiting for death to take him.Even this death, however, was preferable to what he had escaped on that island.The screams of his companions still echoed in his ears, a horror that would remain with him until his dying day.He closed his eyes as he drifted through the night, trying to purge the things he had seen from his mind without success.  
  
When he opened them, he was astonished to see the outline of an island by the light of the moon.He gathered what reserves of strength remained to him and swam towards it.Struggling against the waves in his weakened state, he feared that he might succumb at any moment to the sea—all within sight of safety.  
  
And then his feet touched sand under the waves.He had made it to the shore!Unable to stand, he crawled on his hands and knees in the dark towards the beach, coughing and choking as breakers rolled over him.  
  
All at once there were thick, strong arms around him, pulling him from the sea.  
  
He looked up at his savior, eyes round with awe.A muscular, well built man with wild, unruly hair stood before him, covered head to toe in magnificent tattoos.There was an air of divinity about this man and he leaned down to offer his support.  
  
“Are you okay?What happened?”  
  
Tears streaking his face, he told him.  
  
And Maui listened, his face hard as stone.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to raptormoon for being my amazing beta reader and enabler on this monstrosity. THANK YOU.


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